October 28, the Cornerstone Blessing Ceremony of the new “Aregak, Emil’s kleine Sonne,” Day Care Center for Children with Multiple Disabilities took place in Gyumri, Paruyr Sevak 23.
October 28, the Cornerstone Blessing Ceremony of the new “Aregak, Emil’s kleine Sonne,” Day Care Center for Children with Multiple Disabilities took place in Gyumri, Paruyr Sevak 23.
The aim of the new centre is to improve the life quality of the children with disabilities and support their families in giving them the opportunity to gain basic operational skills which they can use in their daily lives.
The Centre has become a dream for many children, as the director of Armenian Caritas, Anahit Mkhoyan, puts it, although in its present stage it is limited in space and capacity only for a small group of children.
The soon to be build new center will serve up to 200 children and youth with disabilities above the age of 5 providing them with developmental services and a wide range of therapeutic and rehabilitation treatments, amongst them art and music ther
apy.
The center will be unique not only in Armenia but for the entire Caucasus region. It will have an alternative heating and electricity systems. A park and a playground will be constructed in the surrounding area of the center, open to community members and encouraging a close cooperation between the center and the community.
An information and support center will offer information and counseling for people with disabilities and their families.
The Cornerstone Blessing Ceremony was conducted by Archbishop Raphael Minassian, President of Armenian Caritas Benevolent NGO and Ordinary of Armenian Catholics in Armenia, Georgia and Eastern Europe together with clerics of Armenian churches. Samvel Balasanyan, the mayor of Gyumri, Seyran Petrosyan vice regional governor and officials from foreign countries attended the ceremony among them Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Norway in Armenia Mr. Timothy David Straight and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the UK in Armenia Mr. Jonathan Aves.
Due to the enthusiasm of the children and the volunteers of “Aregak, Emil’s kleine Sonne,” together with the Caritas team the Cornerstone Blessing Ceremony a beautiful and touching celebration. A play was performed by children concluding it with a happy song. At the end of the event beneficiaries and attendees let balloons to the sky with wishes attached for the new centre.
The project is being financed by Caritas Austria diocese of Vorarlberg through private donors. Up to 2 million euros will be invested to build the centre. The new centre is expected to be completed until June 2014.